I don't have much high hopes from this team – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Inzamam-ul-Haq-c64383
The former Pakistan cricket team captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, has said that he does not have high hopes for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s cricket team in the upcoming World Cup, which gets underway in the Indian Subcontinent on 19 February.
“I don't have much high hopes from this team in the coming tournament", said Inzamam, while talking to a Pakistan leading newspaper.
"Human beings are powerless against fate and you can never rule out a miracle from this team. But at the moment, it looks to me their fate will be the same what was in 2003 and 2007", he added further.
The 40-year old right-hander said that the decision of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to delay the announcement of captain for next month’s World Cup event has divided the team into two groups – Afridi group and Misbah group.
"By not announcing the captain just three weeks before the World Cup, the Board has split the players into http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 groups", said the former middle-order veteran.
Recalling the ICC World Cup 2003, the former batting great of Pakistan said that team had faced same situation at that time when Waqar Younis was appointed as captain while a group of players in the team were favouring http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292 for the
post.
He further added that changing the captain just three weeks before the mega event would be a decision that the board may rue later on.
Inzamam, who has played five World Cups in his seven-year long international career, feels the PCB created an unnecessary crisis over the captaincy issue, which would affect the performance of the controversy-hit Pakistan team.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced their final 15-man World Cup squad last Tuesday, 18 January 2011 but did not name a captain for the esteemed quadrennial event. The move was heavily criticised by many former players including head coach,
Waqar Younis, who was also served a notice by the PCB for his public outburst.
Whilst Boom Boom Afridi is captaining the side in the ongoing ODI series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, Misbah-Ul-Haq has led the team in the Test leg of the tour sealing a 1-0 series win and is Afridi’s deputy in the ODIs.
Both players are supposed to be strong contenders for the role. Since Misbah has already led the side to a series win and had been clinical performer as well, Afridi’s chances of retaining captaincy depend on how well the aggressive batsman
performs in the ongoing five-match One Day series against the Kiwis.
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